AGUILAS

His mind and the sea were brothers at arms, a staff against stone and time, purple and lime. -Aldo's Isle Proverb

Interwoven with Eizo's identity was AGUILAS. It was not a particulaly large structure, there were much larger homes in the realm and even on the green Isle. Nor was its construction particularly subtle. Beautiful yet rugged though; dark smooth stone, richly colored oak doors, and with a tall tower that gazed out over the sea.

Beneath the understated home, deep in the earth, was its heart, its majesty.

Aldoans avoided speaking its true name out of reverence, mostly calling it the "West Tower" or simply "Eizo's". (AGUILAS the term referred to more than a home; it was an ancient name for the land itself.)

It sat nestled close to The Brine amidst granite and cypress, and from the Main Road a long cobblestone driveway weaved through hills and trees and around the quaint Mill Pond. Wolves roamed the grounds and hawks watched from above.

A marble fountain bubbled before a rune-marked oak door entrance. The pool of water glowed purple in the moon light and aromas of pine and salt filled the breezy air.

The local legend of AGUILAS speculated that it contained an entry point to a lost city under the sea. For below the main (newer) structure there were intricate and seemingly endless passageways, descending to the bedrock of the Isle, and possibly beneath the bedrock. A gateway to a forgotten realm, a maze into the abyss..

The locals feared AGUILAS (and Eizo by extension), for there was a tradition of not wanting to poke such strange darkness.

Magic was required to unlock its secrets. Beneath the home, there were doors upon doors with runes and spells laid upon them. The ancient and enigmatic builders of Aguilas were godly in their arts.

The first floors of the tower were normal domestic quarters; a kitchen, a den, a library, numerous bedrooms and bathrooms, a potions room, a generative magic room, all fine in design. Once neat and tidy, the rooms had become dusty and dishelveled from neglect.

At the western side of the first floor, framed by stained-glass windows, there was a large trick fireplace. Behind it (being revealed after reciting the correct words) was a secret spiral stair that spun elegantly to the tower balcony high above. The circular room was cozy and well-kept, and the view expansive and freeing; Eizo's favorite place in the world.

Years before, after returning home from a journey to the Event Horizon, he inherited the property from a sea wizard of great renown and lineage. The old sea wizard was the adopted father of Eizo , and at his death bed in the tower balcony he told Eizo certain truths for the first and last time..

"My dear Eizo, I have kept this from you for your own sake. I know who built this tower lad, though alas I do not know who built what exists beneath it. Now, as I prepare to pass on, I ask you to continue my quest, and find the lost city of AGUILAS."

As they shared a final pot of tea, he told Eizo many beautiful stories about the Runiverse, and much Isle history previously unknown.

"Go to the fountain, touch the water and whisper the words I have taught you , and enter the doorway that opens below you."

Eizo loved him as a true father, and with tears in his eyes vowed to complete the quest.

Slowly then all at once, he realized the gravity of what was there.. Thousands of rooms and locked doors, languages and runes never seen before, magical arts never before encountered, candles that never went out, scrolls that had constant fresh ink on them, music echoing in strange halls, laughing voices at empty tables, paintings and sculptures from other realms, and even ghosts of sea dragons and squid beasts lurking in the dark air.. Eizo felt trapped, scared, yet compelled.

And so, this was the task of Eizo, and when in need of rest and healing, he would return to the cozy high balcony of AGUILAS.

In the wind and rain, with hot tea, he thought. He thought of his travels and friends, everything prior to this life of a staff, stone, and time, this new life of ever delving and uncertainty.

Here on the breezy balcony Eizo felt himself- an unburdened wizard, standing peacefully with his cat Whistler.

Entered by: 0xbcb4…985A and preserved on chain (see transaction)